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3minA royal wedding stopped people in their tracks, a space shuttle reached for the skies, and pop music was slipping into something decidedly electronic. Welcome to 1981, when the future seemed to be arriving on television screens, computer desks and dance floors — with a soundtrack that still makes turning up the volume almost irresistible.…
2 October 2026
5min
1976: Music, milestones and moments that mattered 1976 was a year that could make your head spin. Disco was filling dancefloors, punk was beginning to kick at the door, Concorde was carrying paying passengers faster than the speed of sound, and a spacecraft was about to send pictures back from the surface of Mars. In…
5min
1997: When Torn, Barbie Girl and Men in Black ruled the airwaves There are some years that instantly sound like a playlist, and 1997 is one of them. It was the year of MMMBop, Barbie Girl and Men in Black; a year when Tamagotchis demanded constant attention, Harry Potter quietly arrived in bookshops and cinema…
5min
Footloose, fearless and full of magic: Why 1984 still thrills In 1984, pop music was bold, brilliantly theatrical and almost impossible to resist. Synthesizers ruled the airwaves, music videos could transform newcomers into global stars and dance floors filled to songs that still produce an instant reaction today. From Prince and Madonna to unforgettable South…
5min
1979: When Cars, Walkmans and Rapper's Delight pointed to the future The final year of the 1970s didn't exactly slip quietly out the back door. 1979 gave us disco at full glittering strength, the rapidly growing sounds of new wave and electronic pop, a landmark moment for hip-hop and some records that would sound remarkably…
5min
1990: You Can’t Touch This year for music, movies and memories There are some years that feel like a continuation of what came before. 1990 was not one of them. Nelson Mandela walked free after 27 years in prison, East and West Germany became one country again, the Hubble Space Telescope headed into orbit and,…
